The Basics of Microsoft Word 2007 Excel Introduction to PowerPoint Introduction to PowerPoint The Basics of Microsoft Word 2007 Excel

PowerPoint is a powerful tool can be used as an aid when giving a presentation. If you’re familiar with any Microsoft Office 2007 software (such as Word), you’ll probably recognize a lot of PowerPoint menus and tools. Let’s take a look at some basic PowerPoint features and the basic presentation format that is common to all presentations.

Here are some of the basics of PowerPoint you should be familiar with (look at p. 1146 in the book, which isn’t assigned in this course): Ribbon – Office Button – Slides/Outline Pane – Slide Pane – View Buttons – Notes Pane – Status Bar –

PowerPoint can be used to create complex, interactive files, but to create a simple presentation requires only basic knowledge of Microsoft Office Programs. The first step is to choose a slide design. You want to do this first because the graphic elements of the design will affect how you place text and images on your slides.

The next step is to put text and graphic elements on your slides The next step is to put text and graphic elements on your slides. In most PowerPoint presentations, the text is formatted as bullet points. Keep in mind though that a slide show should be used to enhance your in-person presentation, so you should either put the majority of the text in the Notes pane or in a separate document that you use to guide your spoken presentation. Select graphics that highlight the important points of your speech. PowerPoint includes tools to help you draw shapes, charts, and other graphic elements. You can also incorporate clip art, photographs, and video into a slide show.

Once you’ve built your presentation, you can add slide transitions and animation to bring out various aspects of your information. Keep in mind that these should enhance your presentation, not detract from it. Some slide designs have preset animations and transitions, so you should check what’s included before adding more.

Much like Word and Excel, PowerPoint utilizes a menu bar at the top allowing you to access the most popular functions directly. From the Home tab, you have quick access to add or remove slides, to select fonts and sizes, to format paragraphs and bulleted lists, and to draw shapes. In addition, you can insert images, charts, movies or sounds. In the world of presentations, a picture is worth more than a thousand words (or bullet points in this case). PowerPoint gives you themed layouts so you can spend less time on design and more time on content. PowerPoint also gives you the power to animate objects in your slide. You can fade in your bulleted list as you discuss each point. Or you can make images or tex move on the screen to emphasize your point. PowerPoint lets you control how you want to transition between slides. For example, you can fade into your next slide or you can use the Dissolve transition for a more dramatic effect. Lastly, a Notes section is provided as a place to keep important notes and reminders for the person giving the presentation. To present the slideshow, simply click the Slide Show tab and, from the Start Slide Show section, choose From Beginning. To move to the next animation or slide, press the space bar or click your mouse.

Labels: Values: Formula bar: Text or other non-numeric data used as headings for information Values: Numeric data that may be used in calculations Formula bar: The box that displays the contents and formulas of the active cell Here are some guidelines for formatting your presentation: You must always have a title slide. Each following slide should have a recognizable and consistent heading so your audience can keep up with the flow of your presentation. Avoid inundating the slide with excess text, images, or animations. It is overwhelming and confusing. Try to keep one main point per slide and only information to support that main point. And always include a closing slide at the end. It can contain contact information for follow-up questions, relevant websites, or simply a slide that reads “The End.” This way, the audience will know when to clap for you, or when to wake up—depending on how the presentation went.